Method of molding sticky and viscous materials.



J. H. KING. v MEIHOD 0F MOLDING STICKY AND VISCOUS MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20. I9I4- Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

I II.

run s JOHN H, KING, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. as, 119115..

- Application filed July 20, 1914. Serial It'o. 851,838.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that 1, JOHN H. KING, a c1t1- zen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Methods of Molding Sticky and Viscous Materials, of which'the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

It has been found that in handling materials such as semi-liquid paper pulp, chemically treated with a quick drier and hardener, which makes a very viscous and sticky mass, that all known methods of molding it result in a hopeless clogging up of'parts, rendering pouring and pressing so difficult and expensive as to be impractical for general use. The material such as above mentioned may be handled either hot or cold, but it hardens very quickly, and it will stick 7 to the male and female parts of a die before anything can be done with it. It will not pour properly, nor can it be drawn from the heating engine by suction, as in the ordlnary atomizer.

The object of the invention here is hence to convey, mechanically, from a source of semi-liquid, the material to be used, and to atomize the same and spray it over the surface of a former, whatever its shape, where it adheres by impact.

This method of treatment is described in detail with reference to a preferred embodiment in the machine illustrated in the drawings, and the novelty therein duly claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the machine. Fig. 2 is a detail vertical section showing the conveyer and a stuffing box. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mounting means of the conveyer. Fig.

4 is a side elevation of the whole machine on various chemical ingredients in order to render said material hard and water-resisting,

but it is not desired to be limited ,to the use of the machine or device to the above mater 1al, a's pitch, resin, glue or in fact any semillqllld, or viscous material may be worked with equal facility. I

The mechanical part of the invention consists of a reservoir or cooker 1, having a steam jacket 2- in the lower half of said receptacle for the purpose of admitting steam of varying temperature into the jacket, for the purpose of maintaining the contents of sald kettle or reservoir" in a liquid or semiliquid state to admit of same being conveyed vertically by means of a spiral conveyer 3. This conveyer works in a hollow cylinder 4, by means of a rod or shaft 5 extending through the bottom of the steam jacket 2, and then revolved by means of a motor or other driving device, situated on the extenor of the kettle through the gears 6, 6. The rod or shaft in passing through the bottom of the steam jacket, is provided with stuffing boxes 7, 7, packed with suitable metallic or other packing 8. The material in the kettle or reservoir is carried upward by the operation of the spiral conveyer and issuing from the upper extremity of the containing cylinder is met by a jet of compressed air or gases, the same being either cold, or heated. The jet issuing from the nozzle may also be of superheated steam, if the material used be of such nature as to require it. I

The use of a spiral conveyer is of considerable importance, as with such conveyer .rial can be regulated and the material distributed for the uniform and proper action of the spraying device. With such material as paper pulp, a uniform, even delivery to the jet is very essential, and for this sort of material a spiral conveyer is of great value.

The jet nozzle 9, located at the top and slightly in the rear of a small cylinder at the upper end of the conveyer, containing the material to be used, is directed in such manner as to atomize and drive the contents forward and against any plane or irregular surface, depositing the same in regular and equal amounts thereon.

It is not thought that further drawings are necessary to illustrate the modifications of my device which suggest themselves.

The device may be operated either singly or in multiple; the jets may force the contents of the cylinder directly forward, or if in multiple the lines of atomized material may cross each other at an angle, so as to produce an interlacing of the material (if sameis composed of paper pulp). If certa'in effects have to be produced in the material, liquid or gaseous chemical substances may be introduced into the jets as they carry the air or gases for ward. As a means of doing this, an auxiliary inlet 21 is provided for the pipe 9 leading to the atomizing nozzle 9. It is further advisable not to al low the leakage from the conveyer to drop back into the heated mass. For this reason, the end of the cylinder 4 overhangs the kettle 1, and a pan 22 is provided to catch the drippings which can be used again. The tube or cylinder extending through the bottom of the kettle is slitted longitudinally for a portion of its length at 1 1, to provide opening for the material to be\conveyed upward and outward by the screw conveyer. The stufling boxes and glands are designed to form a guide for the lower extremity of the screw conveyer, the tube or cylinder itself forming a guide or support above.

This tube is preferably attached rigidly to the body of the kettle 1 by means of the brackets 12 and 13, the lower of which has a slot 14 to coincide with the slot 11 above noted.

The mold or former is the article that is moved to receive the desired form of coating for the finished product. As the material of a kind such as thisis sprayed or atomized, it sticks to the impeding surface. Unlike the ordinary spraying, it is the mold that is moved and not the nozzle. Slight movement of the nozzle in the machine shown would be possible, but means of moving the mold is usually the only practical way of spreading the material. If it is desired to regulate the spraying force, the nozzle may be drawn back by the rack and pinion 15, 16, secured to the nozzle pipe 9. In the former shown, for example, the shape is that of a keg. This keg former 17 is collapsible being built along the same lines as my collapsible cylinder shown and described in Letters Patent in my name, No. 716,555, and dated December 23, 1902, and it is covered with material coated so that the dried material will not stick to it. The former 17 is mounted in trunnions 18, movable ona track 19, and is revolved by a handle 20. It will be understood that in 1 like,

. veyed directing a making flat board, beaded strips, and such that the movement of the former wlll be difierent. It will also be understood that while I have illustrated a receptacle with steam jacket for heating, that in many instances the semi-liquid plastic materlals can be treated without heating.

What I have sought to disclose as far as mechanism is concerned is an apparatus or device for mechanically conveying through a tube or conduit, paper pulp or other semiplastic or viscous material, which is met at its upper extremity by a jet of compressed air and sprayed or projected against a form or pattern of either plane or irregular outlines. In addition to paper material, semiliquid glue, casein, varnishes, or such matter can also be treated, which will not flow by gravity through an orifice in a regular and uniform quantity. Through the inlet in the air pipe, formaldehyde or other chemical substances when desired, may be utilized for hardening, or giving other properties to the substance being used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A method of molding sticky and viscous and rapidly hardening materials such as chemically treated paper stock, which consists in mechanically conveying in an up-. ward direction the mixture from a source subjected to heat, whereby none of the material is allowed to drip away by gravity, and at the topmost point to which it is con powerful jet of airagainst the material, so as to atomize it and project it directly against a mold or former.

2. A method of molding sticky and viscous and rapidly hardening materials such as chemically treated paper stock, which consists in continuously and mechanically conveying in an upward direction the mixture from a source subjected to heat, whereby none of the material is allowed to drip away by gravity, and at the topmost point to which it is conveyed continuously directinga powerful jet of air against the material, so as to atomize it and project it directly against a mold or former.

3. A method of molding sticky, viscous and rapidly hardening materials such as chemically treated paper stock, which consists in maintaining the source of supply thereof in a vessel subjected to heat, mechanically and upwardly conveying said material from said source to a point substantially horizontal to the mold or former, andat said point directing a powerful jet of air against the material so as to atomize it and project it directly against the mold or former.

. 4. A method of molding sticky, viscous and rapidly hardening materials such as meme? chemically treated paper stock, which consists in maintaining the source of. supply thereof in a vessel subjected to heat, mechanically and upwardly conveying said material from said source to a; point beyond the edge of the vessel and substantially, horizontal to the mold or former, and at said point 'directinga powerful jet of air against the material so asto atomize it and project it directly against the mold or 10 former.

JOHN H. INGQ Witnesses: I

OLIVER W. SHARMAN, KATHERINE SMITH. 

